FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 8, 2002

CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119

DRAKE PROFESSOR TO READ FROM HER NEW BOOK

Catherine Taylor, assistant professor of English at Drake University and author of "Giving Birth: A Journey Into the World of Mothers and Midwives," will read from her work at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14, in the Honors Lounge of Medbury Hall, 1317 28th St. The event, which is free and open to the public, is part of the Drake Writers and Critics Series.

Taylor is a doula, or birth assistant, and a mother of two. Her book has been called "one of the most important books on childbirth" by Pam England, author of "Birthing from Within." A recent review of Taylor's book in Publishers Weekly states that "Examining midwife-attended childbirth in contemporary America, Taylor approaches the subject as both a creative journalistic investigator . . . and a consumer of the system she reports on . . . the result is a delightfully readable blend of scholarship, expose and storytelling that is likely to become a classic. Taylor's book is essential reading for prospective parents and anyone interested in maternity care or the politics of contemporary healthcare systems."

Taylor, who holds a Ph.D. in English from Duke University, has written articles for numerous publications including Rolling Stone, New York Woman, Every Baby and The Oxford Companion to Women’s Writing in the United States. She also co-founded and produced the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in New York City.

She has served as a producer, writer, and researcher on a number of PBS projects in New York City, including the Emmy Award-winning film "The Exiles," projects for Academy Award-winning documentarian Nigel Noble, a 10-part PBS series titled "Geography in American History," and The American Experience’s "That Rhythm, Those Blues."

For the past 10 years she has taught creative writing to at-risk populations, and has a teaching certificate from the Amherst Writers and Artists Institute in Writing with Low-income Women. She is the founder and editor of The Harwood Review, a literary magazine based in New Mexico.

Before joining the Drake faculty, Taylor taught English at Duke University and at the University of New Mexico. She grew up in New York City and Ithaca, New York, and attended Cornell, Oxford and Duke universities.

For more information about Taylor's reading at Drake, call (515) 271-3969.